Under Masks and Misunderstandings
by jaggedstones
Summary: Victorian/Masquerade AU. Marinette is forced to marry into a noble French family for financial reasons, but finds herself married to the head of the Agreste Estate, Gabriel Agreste. After meeting a cat-masked man at their wedding celebration, Marinette finds herself complexly in love. Rated M for upcoming chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Marinette Dupain Cheng was a simple girl. She lived in town with her family, working at the corner bakery that had been in her father's family ever since the establishment of Paris. She would knead bread, clean displays, and even make deliveries when her father allowed it. She settled for this simple life, for it was all she ever knew.

Until one night, in mid autumn, when her mother sat her down to discuss Marinette's marriage arrangement.

Sabine had informed her of a handsome amount of money that was withheld from her when she married Marinette's father. Her parents did not like Tom, and forbid her from marrying him, so she snuck away in the night to start a secret life with Tom by her side. She would never hear from her parents again, that is, until two weeks ago when she received a letter from her family's French estate. Entrusted in the letter was news of the death of her father, and with it, the news that all the money that was withheld from her would be given to her under one condition: Sabine's firstborn would be wed into one of the noblest houses in France.

Marinette was speechless. Her mother had never spoken to her about this disobedience. After the initial shock had faded, her blood boiled with anger. If her mother could run away and marry any one she wanted to, then what would stop her from doing the same? She looked out the window to the busy Paris streets. People walked up and down them, bustling with gossip and admiring the market place, especially the new tailor shop that had opened recently. How easy it would be to get lost in a crowd like that and never return home. She heard a gentle sigh come from her mother, and turned back to her. The eyes she met held a mixture of sadness and understanding, but over all else, hope. Marinette looked around the bakery. It was particularly empty, which had been unusual for this time of the day. She fixed her eyes back onto her mother, and in that moment she realized how much they needed that withheld money.

At age 15, Marinette Dupain Cheng was a bride-to-be.

Finding a suitor only took about a month. There was news that a nobleman of Paris has lost his wife about a year ago. Out of a whim, the Dupain Cheng's sent a letter to his estate, requesting a patron of marriage. After a handful of letters to and fro discussing benefits and the amount of money that Sabine would be receiving due to this commitment, a marriage was agreed upon. Marinette Dupain Cheng would marry the head of the Agreste estate, Gabriel Agreste.

Marinette was nervous. A horse and carriage had picked her up from the bakery later that month. She bid her family farewell with a heavy heart and shaking legs, before setting off to the estate. The Agrestes were located a couple miles outside of Paris, so the journey took around 2 hours. In that time she admired the dusty roads and almost leafless trees that swayed in the delicate wind.

When they did finally arrive, she was taken aback by how large the estate actually was. It was indeed a French masterpiece, surrounded by wildflowers and fountains, statues that Marinette never thought she would see. After the buggy had stopped in front of the large staircase that led to the entrance, she was greeted by a large man wearing servant's garb, extending a hand towards her. Marinette picked up her only suitcase, and took the man's hand, letting him glide her away from the buggy. She worded her thanks, but was interrupted by the man's heavy grunt. He pointed to her suitcase. She could only stare, not exactly knowing what it was he was asking for.

A voice came from the entrance. "Madam Marinette, please hand him your belongings." A woman stood at the top of the stairs, dark hair pulled neatly into a bun. She was also wearing servants clothing, she could tell by the resemblance to the man's, even though they were in fact, almost identical to Marinette's threads. She did as she was told and handed him her suitcase. He made another small grunt and proceeded to walk towards the estate. She quickly followed behind him, careful to pick up her hand sown dress slightly as she made her way up the stone stairs. When she reached the top, the woman bowed slightly. "Let me introduce myself. I am Natalie, the head of household duties here at the Agreste Estate. Please allow me to formally welcome you to your new home."

Marinette smiled as much as she could, giving a low curtsy to Natalie, even though the words 'new home' made her eyes sting just a bit. Natalie gestured her to follow her inside, which she obliged. Only one word came to mind when she entered the hall: miraculous.

The hall was completely white, ornamented with gold tapestries and brilliant Roman pillars. The curved ceiling was carved with beautiful engravings, and flowers in magnificent vases sat in every empty space. The double marble stair cases led to the largest painting Marinette had ever seen, where two figures resided, a man and a boy, closely resembling each other.

She couldn't help but stare at the portrait gazing down at her. Standing offside a chair stood proudly a tall man. His blonde, almost white, hair was combed back neatly, tiny streaks of gray popping through. He was looking off into the distance, instead of forward, his gray, almost violet eyes, looking anything but amused. His sharp and lifted jaw made Marinette shudder. ' _Monsieur Agreste..._ ' she thought to herself. His arm extended to the shoulder of a boy that sat on the chair underneath him. Unlike Gabriel Agreste, this boy's face was gentle. His golden hair laid messily atop his head, but it was not unattractive. He wore the smallest smile upon his face, but Marinette could not help but notice that sadness that pooled in his emerald eyes. He was young. Though not completely positive, she thought he could almost be as young as she was. She was, however, positive that he was, in fact, the most beautiful boy she had ever seen before.

Snapping back into reality, Marinette could not help but hold her mouth agape as she took in her surroundings. She was absolutely astonished by the pure fact that she would be living in this mansion from here on out. Natalie was a stiff woman, but she cracked the slightest sliver of a smile when she saw Marinette's amazement.

"Let me show you to your room, there you can get settled and meet your personal housemaid." Natalie turned on her heel and Marinette quietly followed behind her. They made their way up the large staircase and turned right into a large hall. Gorgeous paintings lined the hall, and though she thought not possible, Marinette was even more entranced by the beauty.

They passed several different doors before finally coming to the last door on the right. Natalie urgently opened the door and stepped back to allow Marinette to pass. When she entered the room, she was half blinded by the low setting sun peeking through the large window scape before her. Under the window was a decent sized nook where delicate cream colored pillows were set. The drapery was a dusty rose color, which gave the room a blushed tint. On the left was a mahogany writing desk, where parchment, ink, and a quill were set. Alongside it, a large bookcase with no empty slot stood tall. In the corner, a small fireplace was dwindling a fresh fire. There were several arm chairs, tables with vases filled with flowers, and paintings decorating the space, but what caught Marinette's eye the moment she entered the room, was the bed that sat on the right side of her. It was big, much too big for her, and she could see by the reflecting light that it was lined with silk linens. There were at least a dozen beaded and embroidered pillows at the head, and a neatly folded wool blanket sitting at the end.

Marinette quickly turned back to Natalie, "This is extravagant, are you positive that Monsieur Agreste is alright with such extremities?" A blush lined her cheeks.

Natalie just nodded and bowed slightly, "Let me ensure you that Monsieur Agreste will have nothing but the best for his lady of the house." She relieved herself from her bow and folded her hands in front of her. "My master has prepared a meeting this evening. Your personal housemaid, Alya, will escort you to the drawing room once you are settled." By the end of her sentence, Natalie had already shut the large white door, giving Marinette no time to inquire anything else of her.

Other than the crackling of flames from the fireplace, Marinette stood in silence in her new living quarters. She had never felt more alone.


	2. Chapter 2

A sharp knock was the only thing that kept Marinette from letting go of the tears that were swelling in her eyes.

"You may come in." She tried to ignore the minor crack in her voice and turned to face her visitor, mustering as much strength as possible to form a smile.

A young girl stepped inside, and immediately bowed towards Marinette, brown hair falling in front of her. "Good day, Madam. My name is Alya. I will be your personal housemaid from here on out." Her head tipped up to reveal a bright smile. She wore a large pair of round spectacles.

Marinette couldn't help but notice her servant's garb. Unlike Natalie, Alya wore a long black dress, with a simple white apron. Ripped fabric lined the hemming of the skirt, leaving straggling dark threads easily visible. Marinette's eyes travelled slowly upward and landed on a large green spot that stained her apron. Alya must have sensed that she was staring because a sudden gasp escaped her lips.

"Oh my… Madam, I apologize, I seem to have forgotten to clean up after working in the gardens this morning, blasted grass!" She furiously turned to the side trying her hardest to wipe away the stain with her hands. She started mumbling under her breath, "My first day as a housemaid and I already screwed up, ugh, the master is going to have my head." Her hands worked viciously, taking two sides of the apron and rubbing them together, only to pull away and see it had transferred the green stain to the other side of the white fabric. A low curse came from Alya, which was immediately covered by struggled coughing and a nervous laugh.

Marinette could not help but giggle at the sight. She watched as Alya picked up her hand and sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. Marinette approached her and gently set a hand on Alya's shoulder. "We're both new here, then. Please call me Marinette." Behind her spectacles, amber eyes brightened. She laughed again, not so nervous anymore.

"Well Marinette, we will be seeing a lot of each other. If you ever need assistance I will be available to you at your command." Marinette shyly removed her hand. Alya quickly rushed over to an armchair that sat in the corner of the room. Unbeknownst to Marinette, a long crème and dusty rose colored dress draped over the back of it.

Alya gently scooped the fabric into her arms and presented it to Marinette. "Master Agreste will be expecting you for tea soon, he requested you wear this." She seemed to gaze down at the handful of threads in awe, like she had never seen a dress so beautiful. "Let me help you get dressed." Her ear to ear smile was hard to miss.

Marinette, on the other hand, could only blush at the thought. Up until that point, the only one to ever help her dress had been her mother, occasionally helping her tighten her corset.

With a panicked grin, Marinette stammered to her new acquaintance, "N-no no no, that'll be quite alright. I was thinking that you could… go and… replace your apron! I do not wish for Monsieur Agreste to get angry with you." She peeked down at the grassy stain once again.

"You're right!" Alya gasped, "I couldn't possibly present you to the master in a mess like this… Are you sure you'll be okay?" She was already sliding the dress into Marinette's arms. A quick nod was all Alya needed before bolting out the door, mumbling something about not being long and how angry Natalie would be if she saw her.

A long shaky breath, that she didn't even realize she was holding, escaped Marinette's throat. ' _I better change quickly._ ' She thought to herself as she began to remove her garments.

Alya was right, this had to be the loveliest dress in all of France. Marinette gazed at her slightly visible reflection in the window, which now had the mid-autumn twilight laying behind it. The soft pink fabric lounged behind the crème gown like a capped shawl forming around her. The sleeves were tight to the wrist, and lacey elegant cuffs rested against her nimble hands.

"You look stunning, Marinette!" A shrill voice came from behind her. She hadn't even realized anybody came in. She jumped in surprised, turning around.

Alya cursed under her breath, for the second time that evening. "I should have knocked."

A blush crept onto Marinette's face once again, and she chuckled at the panicked face she wore. She wore a new apron over her black dress. "It's alright, Alya, truly. Could you help me with the back?" She turned back around, exposing the lace ribbon that laid loosely against her shoulder.

Alya quickly approached her and began to lace the ribbon back and forth. They stood in silence as she worked.

"You said you were new to the housemaid profession? How are you liking it so far?" Marinette tried to break the awkward quietness that surrounded them. She would in fact be seeing Alya a lot, getting to know her was probably not such a bad idea.

"Well," Alya began, fingers still fumbling lightly, "I've worked for the Agreste Estate for about a year now. I worked mostly in the kitchen, preparing daily meals and such. To be completely honest, I was surprised that I even ended up here… My family got into a lot of trouble involving debt and not being able to pay Lord Bourgeois…" She tightened the ribbon with a harsh pull as the name of the land's lord rolled off her tongue. Marinette gasped in slight discomfort. "My family reached out to several noble families to ask for work, but the Agreste's were the only ones to oblige. They have been more than accommodating. They even settled my family's debt completely in exchange for an oath of servitude of one of our family members, and my mother chose me."

Marinette was shocked. The Agreste's did Alya's family such an honorable service by aiding them in a hard situation. She had never heard of a noble family doing something so… well… noble.

Alya laughed. "Speechless, eh? As was I when you arrived through the front door. I guess I am lucky you did though, seeing how you haven't fired me yet for being possibly the worst maid in the history of France." Marinette couldn't help but laugh now too. It felt so nice to feel something other than completely terrified. She embraced the warm feeling under her chest.

"As for your question, I am enjoying it. My first day and I already have a friend. And besides, the other housemaids have better gossip than the old ladies in the kitchen do!" Alya gave one last tug to the ribbon and folded a neat bow at the top. "There, perfect." She stepped back to admire her work. "Let's get you to the drawing room, _Lady Agreste._ " A small smirk formed on her face.

Facing her now, Marinette let yet another blush take her by surprise. They made their way towards the door, a faint word repeating in the back of her mind. " _Friend… Friend… Friend…"_

Marinette and Alya walked side by side, down the hall Marinette had been lead down not too long ago. She admired the artwork lining the walls again, mesmerized by their beauty. She heard distant chuckling from behind them. Peeking over her shoulder, she noticed two girls wearing clothing similar to Alya's. ' _Other housemaids?'_ She thought to herself. Their voices were hushed but Marinette could make out their conversation.

"Did you hear the young master will be returning from his fencing tour soon?" The first girl practically squealed.

The second girl's voice matched the excitement of the firsts. "I did! I cannot wait to see his handsome face roaming the estate again!"

Alya scoffed, mumbling a small " _pathetic_ " under her voice. Marinette felt bad for eavesdropping, but her guilt was dropped as they turned the corner of the hall and the tall portrait caught her eye once more. The green eyes she met held her gaze for a longer moment than she had intended.

A voice broke her gaze. "Not you too!" Marinette watched Alya shake her head, but her smile was evident. They walked down the large marble staircase, and turned right down another large corridor. Stopping at the first doors of the left, Marinette could see through the glass door a tall man standing in front of a large fireplace, looking down into the flames.

Alya gave her a reassuring look, "Ready, Madam?" She whispered. Marinette took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as Alya opened the door for her.

She quietly stepped inside.


	3. Chapter 3

As the sun was finally disappearing behind the mountains, the drawing room seemed uncomfortably dark. Marinette watched as Natalie carefully walked around the room, lighting tall candlesticks to help brighten it. Though the room was definitely brighter and the fireplace gave off a substantial amount of light, it did not mask the unrelenting dark aura that came from the man standing in front of it.

Alya finally stepped inside, gently closing the door behind them. Marinette did not dare to move and further herself into the room without instruction. Instead, she neatly folded her hands in front of her, waiting for him, anyone to say something. The long, awkward silence that surrounded them almost made her knees tremble.

Finally, Natalie approached the two girls, an emotionless face leaning close to Ayla's. She whispered something short and inaudible. Without any warning, they stepped out of the drawing room, leaving Marinette alone with the ever intimidating Gabriel Agreste.

Marinette watched him intently. Though his back was towards her, she could tell he was staring into the fire with an unbreakable gaze. He stood ever so still, but she could see the subtle rise and fall of his shoulders as he let out a breathy sigh. He finally stepped away from the fire, turning his body, and settling his gaze on her distant figure. His cold eyes squinted in the low candlelight, scanning her body as if analyzing her every flaw. They suddenly met hers as he finally spoke.

"Madam Marinette. Welcome." His voice was smoother than she expected. As rigid as she first thought him to be, it was a surprising mixture of molten lava and distant thunder.

"Monsieur Agreste." She replied, curtseying low to show her respect.

She watched as he lifted a hand from his side, gesturing towards a moderately sized round table that stood in the corner of the room. "Please have a seat." She quietly obeyed his orders, approaching the already positioned wooded chair and taking a seat on the feathery cushion that laid upon it. The table was ornamented with bright candles and large baskets holding fresh apples. Marinette could almost feel her stomach eating away at itself as she eyed the red globes that shone in the candle's flicker. Oh, how she would miss her family's bakery and the constant supply of croissants that she had access to.

Her hungry mind was torn from her thoughts as Gabriel began speaking. "I suppose your first question must be 'why have I accepted to house you here as my wife?'" His lack of emotion made Marinette uneasy, so she settled on giving him a quaint nod instead of voicing the fear she knew would be present.

His long legs began to slowly walk towards the table. After placing himself in the seat adjacent to her, he continued. "I am doing a service to your family. Here in France, I have become quite aware of the current tension between the common folk and the noble houses. To strengthen that bond between the lower class and my particular estate, I have agreed on providing… opportunity… to those who seek it." He took a moment to settle himself further, leaning into the chair and casually throwing an elbow atop the back. "Your predicament was quite unusual, but the inquiry of something like this happening will certainly put the Agreste name into the common people's good graces."

Marinette almost gasped in shock as she noticed the smallest smirk creep upon his face. Although what he was saying was completely true, she could not help but notice the undeniable selfishness that she sensed about him.

"That being said, I do not wish for your stay here to be unpleasant. You are, in fact, now a noble lady of the house Agreste. I have provided you with a housemaid, as you already know, and you have access to all the pleasantries that my home can offer." His voice became surprisingly gentle. "I also owe you an explanation of the extent of our marriage. This relationship will, under no circumstances, be romantic in any way. I will share my home with you, but not my bed. I hope you can understand my decision." Marinette watched his pale eyes grow softer as he gazed at her. Something along the lines of pain flickered behind them, and she, for a moment, almost felt empathetic towards him.

It did not shock her that Gabriel wanted nothing meaningful out of this marriage. He could practically be her father if the situation had been different. He was intimidating, yes, but Marinette had not forgotten that this man did lose his wife in the last year. The sadness he felt must still have lingered somewhere deep inside of him.

Finding her voice, she let a small "I understand" slide off her tongue, her small fingers fumbling against the folds in her dress.

He carefully watched her, letting a few seconds pass. He suddenly stood up, reaching for an apple that Marinette had been eyeing up earlier. After holding it up close to his face, inspecting its skin for imperfections, he held it out towards her. His face did not waver in the slightest, but Marinette peered up at him questioningly. Slowly, she lifted both hands, accepting the fruit. He did not remove his gaze as she held it in her lap. After a moment, he watched as she brought the apple to her lips and took a small bite. He diverted his eyes and walked again towards the fireplace.

"Tell me, Marinette, do you have any hobbies?"

While trying to chew and swallow as quietly as possible, she took a moment to ponder. "I'm quite fond of baking… As you must know from my background." She tried not to look at him, frightened of what his expression might change to as she spoke.

"Ah," he sighed, "I am aware your father is the owner of a very popular bakery in Paris. It's quite impressive. As impressive as your skills must be with your father's teachings, I can't have Lady Agreste spending most of her time in the kitchen… Anything else?"

Hearing him address her as "Lady Agreste" forced a silent shiver down her spine. She starred at the red sphere cradled in her palms. "Well… I enjoy the art of tailoring. Making dresses in particular..." She let a small blush spread across her cheeks, as if she had revealed something personal. She finally let herself look at him. He was positioned in front of the fire again, his body turned towards her with interest. With the smallest glimpse of understanding in his eyes, he lifted his hand, giving a small gesture Marinette had not understood, and a second later, Natalie walked through the door.

"Natalie, Madam Marinette and I are finished for the night. Please have her housemaid escort her back to her quarters." He let his gaze fall on Marinette, who abruptly stood up after he had dismissed her. Natalie gave him a curtsey, which Marinette followed, apple still in hand.

As they turned to leave, Gabriel's voice called to her again. "Ah, I almost forgot, we will be having a ball here at the estate to formally announce our marriage, four nights from now." As he finished talking, his back turned towards her once more, gazing at the flames under him again.

Marinette said nothing as her and Alya walked back to her room. She figured that the meeting with Monsieur Agreste should be kept confidential, no matter what sort of friendship she had kindled with Alya, seeing how he was the master of the house.

When they reached Marinette's door, Alya left her for the night. On her already unmade and inviting bed, she saw a folded pile of fabric resting there. ' _Alya must have set these out for me._ " She mentally thanked her new friend for quickly picking up on her embarrassed tendencies.

Remembering the apple that she still held in her hand, Marinette looked down at the small section missing from the fruit. After a few moments, she sighed and tossed it into the wastebasket near the door. She let her arms pull the large heap of silk over her head. After removing all the accessories that came with wearing such lovely dress, she let the cool air rest upon her skin. She let a long breath escape her, as if the chill had been the most refreshing thing that day.

Marinette approached the bed and gathered the nightwear in her hands, letting the soft white fabric glide across her skin as she dressed. She carefully climbed into the new territory that was her bed, unsure of how well she would sleep. A sharp blow of breath blew the candle out on the nightstand before Marinette laid her head on the mountain of pillows, letting out a long yawn and almost instantly falling asleep.


End file.
